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This protest movement won't be broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While demonstrations opposing the administration persist in US cities, protesters have embraced the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police look on.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a signature characteristic of American protest in recent years, embraced by various groups.

A specific icon has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It started when a video of a confrontation between a protester in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that little blow-up amphibian," notes a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

As the meme first took off on the internet, it was used to express specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

Yet its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained the character came from his experiences with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that we don't control imagery," states Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

Previously, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. This shifted recently, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

This incident came just days after a decision to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer deployed pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the air intake fan of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The costume was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing opposition."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The action was stopped legally soon after, and personnel are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had become a significant protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was backordered on online retailers, and rose in price.

Mastering the Optics

What brings both frogs together – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights a cause without needing directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

As activists take on authority, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences